Race Equality Programme

Join us for the launch of a crucial CPD programme supporting Sheffield school leaders and teachers to begin deepening racial literacy. This first session explores how racism presents in Sheffield schools and wider society, moving beyond outdated definitions to address structural and everyday racism. Grounded in local context and data from the Race Equality Commission report (2022), it offers reflection and practical starting points to support anti-racist leadership and teaching, as we work together to build more equitable school environments across our city.

This session empowers educators to deepen their racial literacy by exploring how ‘race’ and bias shape the experiences of students in schools across Sheffield and wider society. Together, we’ll unpack concepts like deficit ideology, implicit bias, and microaggressions- focusing on how to recognise and challenge them. Educators will leave with practical strategies to foster more inclusive, affirming, and equitable learning environments for all students.

This session explores how ‘race’, racism and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) intersect to shape the experiences of students in education. Participants will develop their racial literacy, and examine how systemic inequalities impact racially minoritised students with SEND. The session combines data, research and practical strategies to enable educators to create more equitable and responsive learning environments for all students.

This session will focus on awareness and understanding of antiracism as it applies in a safeguarding context. The session will equip leaders with solutions to create racially safe environments; to support children who have experienced racist harm; and to support school leaders to adopt robust antiracist practices that meet their statutory safeguarding obligations.

This session will explore what it means to diversify and decolonise the curriculum, why it matters and how to make sure that it is at the heart of curricular thinking. The session will cover both theoretical concepts needed to approach diverse, decolonial curriculum as well as practical examples from across several subjects.

This session empowers Early Years educators to build antiracist practice into everyday teaching. Drawing on illuminating research, we’ll explore how bias and exclusion can present in early learning, and discuss dynamic, practical ways to create inclusive, equitable environments where all children are represented and feel a strong sense of belonging.

Throughout his career, Jonathan has held various roles aimed at reducing school exclusions and lowering NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) figures, with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and long-term change. His academic work complements this practice: a research doctorate exploring the links between educational experiences and disaffection, offering powerful insights into how educational institutions can either marginalise—or empower—vulnerable learners.

This session equips school leaders with the critical context, practical strategies, and reflective tools needed to confront and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.

This session focuses on building racial literacy around anti-Roma racism in Sheffield schools. Educators will explore the historical and systemic roots of discrimination against Roma communities and how this bias continues to shape the experiences of Roma students in schools today. Through reflection and discussion, participants will work to recognise and challenge stereotypes, deficit narratives, and exclusionary practices, while developing, anti-racist strategies to create more supportive and equitable learning environments for Roma students.

Islamophobia can take many forms in schools—from subtle biases to overt racism—and it impacts how Muslim students engage with learning and community. This session will help educators develop a deeper understanding of how Islamophobia shows up in schools and its impact on staff and student wellbeing and achievement. Through case studies, reflective activities, and practical strategies, educators will learn how to identify and challenge Islamophobic narratives, develop inclusive practice, and ensure schools are safe, empowering and respectful spaces for all staff and students.

Anti-racist governance is both a moral imperative and a legal responsibility. This session equips governors and trustees with the foundational racial literacy needed to drive meaningful progress on racial equity in schools. Learn how to recognise and challenge racism at all levels, and how to use your position to embed anti-racist practice into policy, leadership, and accountability. This session emphasises an active, reflective and iterative approach to anti-racist practice that supports sustained and measurable progress.

This session explores how linguistic prejudice and linguistic racism can show up in UK schools, influencing how students from marginalised groups are perceived and supported. From biases around accents and dialects to assumptions about multilingualism and ‘Standard English’, we’ll examine how language intersects with race, class, and identity. Educators will reflect on how to recognise and challenge language bias while also supporting students to adapt their language use for different contexts—without devaluing their linguistic backgrounds. This session offers practical strategies to create classrooms that celebrate linguistic diversity and affirm every student’s identity.

In this final session of the programme, we come together to share knowledge and celebrate the progress we’ve made as a learning community. Participants will reflect on their personal and professional journeys, highlighting a meaningful change in practice developed through the programme and how they have measured its impact. They will also share their next steps for embedding racial literacy and advancing equity within their school or MAT, with a focus on sustaining momentum and ensuring long-term, meaningful change.